The Truths we Tell Ourselves
by Storyspinnerbah
Summary: She has a choice to make, and it won't be easy. She just knows she has to make it.
1. The Choice We have to Make

**This is a repost to fix Eustace's father's name. Someone very kindly pointed out that it was "Harold", not "Horace". Oops! Thanks!**

The Truths We Tell Ourselves

Storyspinnerbah

**Author Note: This one is making me nervous. I can't tell if it's cohesive or not. I also can't tell if I stayed true to the present-tense feel I'm going for. So I'm going to re-read it one more time, then send it. Too MUCH editing is ALMOST as bad as not ENOUGH! But please read it to the end. There's another author's note there.**

**Oh and the title comes from the reverse of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode"Lies our parents told us.". It just seems to fit. **

CoN CoN CoN CoN

Lucy looks out at the sea from the deck of the Dawn Treader, watching the waves moving her swiftly, slowly, inexorably toward the end of the earth. She doesn't admit that she knows the end is nigh. She just understands that she, her brother and their cousin are close to the end of this journey.

Well, she doesn't admit it out loud.

She can't tell anyone that she has been given a choice by Aslan, and that the reasons for the bags under her eyes and her less-than-Lucy mood this last week is the result of sleepless nights tossing and turning trying to MAKE that choice.

To stay in Narnia or go back to England.

To see her family again, live a life in that world knowing she could never come back to this one…

To live in this one, not knowing if her deepest, lightest wishes would ever come true here…

Which was the more noble choice, the best choice for the greatest good? And which choice is more true to herself?

She sighs, rubbing her neck. She has been at some ship chores that she had taken on, hoping to tire herself out enough to sleep, and since they were finished well, they had been wearing on her body.

There was almost nothing she could do for her weary, thought-addled, sleep-deprived mind and hurting soul, however.

"You need to talk."

She doesn't jolt at the voice belonging to the biggest reason for her to stay. She usually knows when he's nearby.

It's almost like her senses are all hard-wired to him. She can just feel a difference in the air, as if the world has become... different, better for her with him near.

She just wished it was mutual, the awareness of a soul-deep bond forged over such a short span of time. Since he pulled her from the ocean, in fact.

She turns to look at Caspian, taking in his chocolate brown hair mussed from his running his fingers through it, at the chocolate-brown eyes that could see through every excuse she might throw at him, but couldn't see her feelings. (She hopes, since she thinks that would be REALLY awkward.)

At the concerned face, the one that could make so many females swoon and sigh, focused on her.

She examines him. Saying she was fine would be a lie, and she had made a promise to herself to limit her lies to really important, non-obvious things.

Like who had lost Caspian's comb.

However, though she wants to unburden herself to the man she loves, she can't seem to make the words form. He is such a big part of the conflict, one of the few reasons for staying as opposed to the many against.

Caspian would never be selfish with her. He would probably tell her to go with her family because they need her, even if he wants her to stay. And that wasn't a given that he even DID.

He treats her like he cares for her, like he MIGHT love her, and though she wants to believe, there's enough of the self-doubt still existing in being Susan's little sister to caution that the tread be light over that ground.

And there was that star, after all. That could REALLY throw a girl for a tailspin, a possible rival like that. (No pun intended.)

(Sometimes she feels like a ballerina on a tightrope, knowing too much pressure one way or another will cause a fall she might not like.)

She's good at examining other people's motives and emotions. Her own, not so much, but that's typical for someone like Lucy, for whom others mean so much. And she knows Caspian cares for her, even after meeting that silly star. She just doesn't know if that care is love. Or if he even knows HOW he cares for her. She just knows...she loves him.

But Caspian is not ready for her declaration of love. May never be ready. May never WANT the declaration. She doesn't wish to delude herself that he WOULD want it from her at all.

On the other hand, she isn't willfully blind. She sees the care he takes with her, the kind of care you take with the important people you aren't sure of and don't want to risk, for the fear that you'll shatter them.

She looks away from the man she wants to believe feels the way she does. Of course, ASKING him would just be the easy way. She should just try THAT.

She does something she's good at doing…taking the hard way out.

She looks away from him. "It's something I need more time with."

"You've had at least a week, Lucy. Are you sure more time is what you REALLY need?"

He sounds almost harsh, and it's the 'almost' that causes the hope to swell in her.

She doesn't speak on the matter, though. Still unsure of her decision, she realizes that if she could speak of the choice to anyone, it would be to Caspian the Tenth, King of Narnia.

Not because he's the man she loves, but because he's her best friend, next to Aslan. She never knew the two could be the same person.

Then what he SAID registers.

"A week?" It thrills her a little, that he notices how much of a struggle the week has been.

He shrugs. "You looked tired a week ago. Then I got concerned and started counting…and watching. The exhaustion hasn't gone from your eyes."

A half-smile tilts her mouth, and she nods. "Yes, it's been that long."

He looks frustrated. "What's wrong that your family and friends can't help?"

How does she explain that she was wondering how many people she would hurt with her decision?

On the England side, was her whole family.

On the Narnia side…

Well, there was pretty much Caspian and Reepicheep. And the noble mouse would probably be taking his own journey shortly anyway.

So… one person versus eight (okay, maybe six. Aunt Alberta and Uncle Harold would probably not really notice if she wasn't there.) Never good math, in her equation.

Of course, factoring her HEART in…

She looks at him again. "There's a choice I was given. I have to make a decision by the time we reach World's End. The choice isn't…won't be easy."

Caspian tenses, ready to slay her problems. So noble and caring, her friend. "And I repeat…?"

Lucy stands straight. "Because I've spent too much time thinking about it. If I talk it out…"

The good thing (one of the many) about Caspian is he understands her. He knows what she means. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, much as he had when they first came aboard the Dawn Treader. "Let me know me when I can help."

"You'll be the second… okay, fourth." She's half-teasing and the look he gives her shows he knows that.

"Come on, let's try to get some sleep," is all he will say, though.

As he leads her off the deck, she realizes the decision is relatively easy. Well… easier. Caspian's actions have given her hope. Lucy sighs inwardly. Dangerous thing, sometimes, that hope.

If she knew he could love her romantically, if there was a CHANCE he would EVER love her, she would stay in Narnia until the Lion returned.

She just wishes she could read his heart the way she could read a beloved book; sure of the ending, nut enjoying the journey anyway.

Lucy Pevensie, Queen Lucy the Valiant, has a choice to make. She knows where she WANTS to be. She's just not sure if the choice is the right one.

And she's running out of time.

End.

**Author's note: Okay, you read it. Now, here's the conundrum. I THINK this tale has more to tell, but I can't tell if you'd want to read any more OF this tale. If you think I should continue, please review. And please know, this is NOT a "Review and I'll write more," cause I'd keep writing stories anyway. This is a "Do you think I should continue this story?" request. Thanks for your time!**


	2. The Wants we Can't Deny

**A/N: Wow, you guys like the story. That's awesome! So my muse (which has a fairly evil side) has decided to continue this. It is finished on my hard drive, now, it's just posting and tightening it up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Narnia books except a Narnia omnibus and the DVDs. NArnia is the property of C.S. Lewis, who I love and adore. Anyway, without further ado...**

**Enjoy the tale! **

The Wants We Can't Deny

He knows the choice he WANTS her to make.

Caspian stands by the mast, looking at Lucy as she calms the tears of one of the Mist's youngest "sacrifices". He, for once, doesn't really care if anyone sees him staring at the young Queen of Narnia. This time.

He has always cared for Lucy, of course, ever since he first met her. They had been friends, when his encounters with everyone else (well, Peter and Susan) had been wary (Peter) and hopeful (Susan). She love the other Pevensies, but his Lucy didn't care WHAT people or her siblings thought about her friends (Well she CARED. It just didn't stand in her way). She gave her friendship freely, and she was ever loyal to those she cared for.

(It does his heart good to see that part of her hasn't changed. Even though she has grown up, her kind and stubborn nature was still there.)

He knows she cares for him, just as he knows the sun will rise in the morning. It's that much a part of his knowledge. He just doesn't know if she has figured out that she loves him.

But the important thing… was she aware that he loves her.

Whether SHE knows it or not, she's an open book to him.

Well, most of the time.

She has not confided in him of this matter of their hearts, of course. (He was fairly certain he'd be doing something about it if she had.)

Caspian knows the choice she must make…stay in Narnia or go back to her "England." He's not stupid. She let it slip during their "talk" the night before. If there was a decision that's "not easy" to be made, it was not what outfit to wear the following day. Lucy was not vain or bubble-headed. If this choice was causing her to lose sleep for a WEEK, it was a pretty big decision, and it HAD to be stay or go.

The fact that Aslan has obviously offered this choice is of such magnitude it has caused her great loss of sleep is what bothers him. That implies she has to CONSIDER the choice. And that hurts a little, that she didn't feel she could tell him. Of course, she hasn't told Edmund or Eustace either, or even Reepicheep. So he is trying VERY hard not to take it personally.

After all, as stated before, he's not stupid.

Caspian jolts back to reality for a moment, looking around. She sits there, in borrowed clothing, looking like the Queen she is. He relaxes. She's near him and for Caspian, at least right now, that's all that matters.

He knows he's got it bad, when just the presence of Lucy can cause him such contentment.

But he really doesn't care to examine that too closely. The contentment is well worth the knowledge that she has him wrapped tightly around those slender fingers.

Caspian knows she's young, 16 compared to his 21. But he can't forget that she was one the Queens of old, and approximately his age when she returned to England the first time. She has fought in wars before she left and the two times she came back were no picnic either. And he could wait for her to grow up further... to decide if he was whom she wanted to be with forever… if she would just stay.

He is unable to figure out WHEN he first realized he loved her, or when he first loved her. It was probably between the time he told her he hadn't been able to find a queen like Susan (and he hadn't. Lucy was her own Queen, and probably the better for it,) and right now. And he doesn't really WANT to figure it out either. All he knows is, seeing her in danger in the Lone Islands, and in such turmoil now, turns his heart over in his chest…and clarified his heart's confusion.

He would give his kingdom to stop her hurt if he could. He'd give considerably more if she'd stay in Narnia.

With him.

He knows his Lucy. But she is trying to make the decision with only most of the facts. Trying to weigh who would hurt less if she is gone, and probably trying to take herself out of the equation. She would always give everything she had to those she loves, leaving nothing for herself.

He has to make her see that she HAS to consider herself first to some extent, because she can only help others when she is healthy and happy.

And he is terribly afraid that he'd come out the loser, because though HE knows he loves her, SHE does not. She can't possibly be sure and not be in his arms right now.

Of course his admiration at the star's beauty hadn't helped his case any. But, at the time, he hadn't known of his feelings. And he is afraid THAT issue will cause him harm with the woman he loves.

And he knows he has to figure out a way to tell her, because though Lucy is remarkably clearheaded and clear-sighted, she is almost deliberately blind on this matter of the heart.

Caspian knows why. If she doesn't know he loves her, she can make the decision to go or stay based on other factors, like how badly her brothers, sister and parents would hurt if she was no longer there.

Caspian leans against the mast, smiling upon hearing Lucy's giggles as she teases the child. The giggle lightens his mind. He needs that to think, to plan battle strategy.

He is known as a fair King, prides himself on such a description.

But right now, he's not a regent. He's a man in love.

And he is no position or mood to play fair.

He can wait as long as she likes to tell her what they both want to say… if she stays.

Because he knows he'll lose so much more than the love they (quietly, for now) share if she goes.

He'll lose his best friend. And, he is fairly sure, most of the ability to love another person.

If he thought she'd be happier in her world, he'd tell her to go. No matter how it would shred HIS heart. But somehow he doesn't think she will be. His heart (and mind to some extent) are telling him that this choice will change EVERYTHING. Never has Aslan offered the decision to stay with anyone. For him to offer it to Caspian's little Queen, the youngest and most loved of the Pevensies, means something vitally important.

No, Caspian the Tenth, King of Narnia, is in no position to let Lucy walk out of his life without a fight.

He knows the decision will ultimately be based on love… how much she loves her family.

How much she loves him.

Even how much she loves Aslan.

He intends to give her something to REALLY think about.

He hates to weigh his Lucy down with another factor in this choice of hers. But he has to try everything he can to get her to stay by his side.

Where she belongs.

End The Wants we Can't Deny


	3. The Things we have to Say

**A/N: Wow. Just wow. Many people like my story. It's just so COOL! Anyway, I won't keep you from reading what comes next…**

**Narnia's not mine. I'm just playing with them!**

The Things We Have to Say

Edmund wonders how they could be so blind.

Was it something in the Narnian water or food, that they couldn't see the emotions rioting over the faces of its King and Queen of Old?

Even HE could tell how they felt about each other, and he was not known in his family for being the one with the gift for knowing other's hearts. (No, that was Lucy, and to a lesser extent, Peter.)

Yet here are his little sister and his friend, quietly speaking of something, and not one of the crew of the Dawn Treader thought anything of it. (Or if they did, they weren't telling HIM. Probably afraid he'll attack their King.) "They're friends" was the basic consensus of the crew, with the exception of little Gail, who was giggling beside him as she, too, watched the wannabe lovebirds.

Edmund loves Lucy. Even when he was a prat, before their reign in Narnia, he has loved the little sister who believed in him even when he was teasing her. That she is Peter's favorite sister, too, makes him believe that she has a gift for, and talent in, spreading joy. For making people…no, for SHOWING people, how to love her.

That Caspian seems to be a willing victim of that gift makes him sigh.

For, Edmund, too, is not stupid.

He knows of the choice offered to Lucy. Has for the last few days. He knows Aslan has offered her the lightest wish she could want. He knows how much she wants it, even believing that she may never have the man she loves.

But if Caspian's looks have anything to say, it's that she already HAS what she most wants. Will have even if she leaves.

Edmund shakes his head as Caspian leans closer to Lucy, making her flush a little. There was a look in the young King's eyes that, had Lucy been looking at him, would have shown her all she wants to know…and made Edmund's hands clench on his dagger as the big brother he is.

But Lucy has looked at her feet.

And Edmund breathes a little easier.

He, like Caspian, only wants Lucy's happiness. But he, unlike Caspian, knows his sister in ways the other young man does not. He has, after all, known her since birth. Watched her grow up.

And Edmund know Lucy will only love with her whole heart. And that heart is screaming to stay here, with the man who now holds it.

But one of Lucy's greatest strengths is her loyalty. She is probably weighing the pain that will be caused if she leaves versus the price if she stays.

The weight is very finely balanced right now.

It will tip completely toward this place if Caspian speaks.

And he'll have to, Edmund knows. Lucy has very little faith in her value to others. (That's why Gail has been so good for her. The little girl, though back with her mum, has still shown Lucy that she is admired and cared for by someone who has no ulterior motives or investment in her self-esteem.) For Lucy to believe that Caspian loves her, she'll have to HEAR it. To KNOW that she is loved as a woman should be, by a man who adores and values her opinion and will care for her through his lifetime.

Oddly, despite his reputation (previously) for being thoughtless and selfish, Edmund hopes the young king will say the words his sister needs to hear.

The ones that will keep her here.

For Edmund has never forgotten how Lucy had saved him, first by forgiving him without his apology at their first journey into this enchanted land, then at the Battle that cemented their claim to the four thrones, with her healing cordial.

He will miss her. He already misses her, like you would miss a limb, or a person vital in your life.

But he knows what she will choose, what she SHOULD choose.

For a person cannot live completely happily where their heart is not residing.

And Edmund will fight for Lucy's happiness, even if it means fighting Peter's pain, Susan's surprise, and possibly Lucy herself. Though he thinks that last one will be the hardest, since one of her strengths is also stubbornness.

Her silvery laugh reaches her brother's ears. He looks at her. Caspian has stood closer, tickling her sides and making the giggle ring out. He looks at the couple (for in their hearts they already are), then at the little girl beside him.

Gail looks back at him. "They're blind, aren't they?"

His opinion exactly.

Yes, he will miss his little sister.

But he knows where she is needed most.

And where she is wanted best.

And for that, he can only hope that she will make the correct choice.

End The Things we have to Say


	4. The Life We Need to Lead

The Life We Need to Lead

Time has run out.

Edmund and Caspian look at the entrance to Aslan's country. The waves crash upward, an aquatic curtain of blue and green hiding, then revealing, the mountains behind them.

Eustace is watching his best friend, noble Reepicheep, reach the top of the curtain and sail over the top.

Aslan is looking at Lucy, as always wisdom and love in his eyes.

And our heroine?

Lucy is looking inward.

She is checking herself, checking everything she can to make sure she is making the choice needed.

For there have been no words spoken, no declaration of love, no brotherly chat to ease her mind and heart. And she realizes that they will not speak, for love of her.

No, Lucy Pevensie must make this choice alone.

She looks up. They are ALL watching her now, her brother, her cousin, and the man she loves. Each wears a different expression, but all are filled with love.

Even… she tilts her head a little.

Even Caspian.

At that moment, she reads all his devotion, his want of her, his LOVE for her, in those almost black orbs.

And she realizes something she didn't really understand until now.

Her decision was made the moment Aslan spoke of her having to make it.

Her mind had just tried to override her heart. For her mind did not know that sometimes, the heart is more stubborn, wiser…and better equipped to handle life's big decisions. And her mind was afraid of this step into the future.

Growing up, change, is NEVER easy. Love is rarely so. But if it's true, right and honest… it's worth the cost.

She does not speak, just reaches to hug Aslan first, thanking him quietly for the choice he'd given her.

She hugs Eustace, proud of the man he was becoming.

She hugs Edmund, grateful to him for his silent, staunch support of her.

And then…she hugs her heart in human form.

He clutches her close, as if he can keep her there without words, as if he can tell her all he could not say in that hold.

Then, he lets go, gently placing her back on the ground.

The four friends…well two family members, one best friend, and a lion… look at her again. She takes a deep breath.

She speaks of the offer that was made.

And the answer she is giving.

The end, The Life We Need to Lead

**Author's Note: I love cliffies, don't you? What a GREAT end to a tale! :) (ducks rotten fruit) Okay, okay! I'll tell you her decision in the next part.**


	5. The Love We should All Find

Surprise!

Lucy looks at the water as it closes over her brother and cousin…

End

**A/N: How'd you like it? Wait, Wait! There's more, I promise. The ACTUAL title is as follows…**

The Love We Should All Find

**I'm such a stinker! :)**

Lucy looks at the water as it closes over her brother and cousin…leaving her on the shore with Caspian and Aslan.

She catches Caspian's look out of the corner of her eye, but is not quite ready to speak further. Though she knows this is the right choice for her, she needs to mourn what she has left behind. For she does NOT want to spend the rest of her life wondering, "What if…?"

She is also not stupid. She knows, with a certainty the young possess that we can lose as we grow up, that love…especially this love… is not easy. It is not MEANT to be easy. There will BE days she will miss her family, and England. There will BE days she will wonder about the other side. She might wish she had gone with Edmund and Eustace if she's not careful, if she lets anger and fear cloud later what is a clear choice now. But she never wants regret at the choice she's made to damage what she and Caspian have started.

So, as the child she so recently was, she mourns the loss with tears. And as the adult she will become, she savors the loss, letting herself feel it, then puts the pain into a corner where she will examine it on those bad days…and sometimes the good.

(Sometimes, self-examination is better when you're relatively happy. And your past can have less effect when you have the good days to counter the bad memories.)

Caspian's face crumples for a moment. He reaches for her, letting her sob in his shoulder. Aslan patiently waits for the jag to be finished.

Her first words are said when she lifts her head and looks into those beautiful, worried eyes of the man holding her. "I will never regret the choice. But I need the time for the pain to heal. It will be an easier journey this way."

"Well put, my child," Aslan says, his wise voice soothing her soul, and possibly Caspian's fear at the same time.

They look at him, this lion who has offered them their hearts' desire, and they are swamped with gratefulness so great it can only be expressed with what they do next.

They hug the lion, then each other once more.

"Love each other, dear ones. Life will not be easy, and there are dark times ahead. Only your strength, love and faith in each other will get you through."

Lucy and Caspian shiver. They realize the lion's warning was prophetic, and they know heeding his advice is the best thing they could do.

Then Aslan shifts. "It is time to get you back to the ship."

Caspian moves to speak quickly, afraid of NOT speaking. He had not been able to speak on the Dawn Treader, with all the time spent getting here and his fear of telling her and her still leaving him taking up so much time as well. He had not been able to find the words then. Even "I love you. Please stay with me," had been beyond him.

But he wants to speak now. He so badly wishes he was a poet, a wordsmith, to convey the joy he feels at her decision. The love he feels wants to spill out.

His mouth is covered by Lucy's hand, and she leans up to kiss his cheek. "Later. Right now, we have all the time we need."

Peace and love overcomes him at that moment. Yes. Yes they do.

And they will.

He understands her point. They can no longer hide from the feelings, and to speak of them here, so close and so soon after the departure of her family, would almost cheapen the departure…and the declaration. She needs a little time and space to mourn the loss.

Caspian intends to make it a VERY little time and space. Now that she's here, he has the need to make her his in word as well as in fact. More importantly, he has the need to be with her, comforting and protecting her from the devastation, to share and hopefully lessen the burden. For he misses them too…the brave mouse, the young lad who changed from a burden to a blessing, and the brother of his heart.

But, he looks at her, really WATCHING her, and silently agreeing, he knows now is not the time. He takes her hand, kissing it, and holding it in his own.

She blushes, but meets his gaze. He knows she is grateful for the time, and that she will relish hearing of his feelings.

But not just yet.

CoN CoN CoN

Their return to the ship is met with joy for Lucy's stay and sorrow for the departure of three that were loved. Gail hugs Lucy around the waist, giving Lucy the belief that her decision is the right one.

She already KNEW that, but to have it confirmed by someone other than the man who loves her is gratifying.

CoN CoN CoN

As the ship heads back toward the Narnian borders, Lucy and Caspian find the words "I love you" hard to say. Though they both know the FEELINGS are there, the WORDS will change everything.

Their ACTIONS are speaking pretty loudly, to themselves and everyone ELSE on board.

He holds her close when the memories get too strong. She jumps on his back when he looks lost deep in thought (and isn't armed). They laugh and cuddle at nights when their self-assigned chores are finished.

They haven't kissed yet.

They WANT to, oh so badly. But they both want that time to be untainted by grief, filled with just joy.

And her mourning period isn't quite finished.

Her laughter isn't completely free of the guilt she feels.

Or it wasn't, until today.

Today she laughed at the reminiscence of something Eustace said pre-dragon, and there was pure wistfulness, not pain at his memory.

Then she looked at Caspian, and winked, mouthing, "I'll be okay."

Later, as she stands by the mast, he finds her there. As has become their custom, he grabs her hand and leads her to the railing. He puts his arms around her, holding her close. The words he wants to say spill out.

"How are you doing?"

She smiles at him, one untinged with sadness. "I will always miss them, Caspian. But the guilt and pain have lessened to where it's barely there anymore." She rubs her nose on his, and lightly kisses his cheek.

"I will never regret my choice, Caspian. Never regret being here. I just needed the time to…come to terms with my decision."

He holds his breath, then lets it out." And have you?"

She rests her forehead against his. "Oh, yes, Caspian. I have. I want to be here." Then she says the words he's been waiting for.

"I want to be here with you. You've made every tear, every drop of pain, worth it. Knowing you care for me, that you worry for me... it's a blessing I don't feel I deserve. You've made the pain easier to bear, my Caspian."

He shakes his head fiercely, holding her tighter. "You deserve all good things, ONLY good things. And I just wish you hadn't had to go through it at all. But helping you, getting to know you better…it's an honor and a privilege I hope I can be worthy of."

Lucy smiles at him, her eyes clear and unshadowed for the first time in weeks. Her bright blue orbs call to Caspian, just as his dark brown ones echo the refrain her heart is singing. They lean closer to each other, their smiles fading.

The kiss is what every first "I love you" kiss should be, sweet and passionate and loving all at once.

He exhales everything he wants to tell her, all his hopes and dreams for them, all the joy, all the love.

He inhales all HER hopes and dreams, all her pain, all her joy despite that pain, all her love.

When they part, their breathing is ragged. He has her held in his arms so she is on tiptoes. Her arms are locked around his neck, and their breaths mingle as their heads are close to the other. He smiles brightly at her, and she can't help but smile back.

Then he teasingly tells her, "Can I say them now?"

She smiles widely at him, and pretends to ponder the notion. Her next words fill him with incandescent joy. "How about we say them together?"

He kisses her fiercely, then nods. They hold each other tightly and examine each other's eyes, knowing the words will change everything. Once said, they can't be retrieved. And they don't want to retrieve them. But they take a moment to savor the unspoken…before they sigh them out.

"I love you so much," is what comes out next, heard…

By Peter, who is grieving the loss of his little Lucy, and finds himself relaxing at the words he hears.

By Susan, who is grieving the loss of her fantasy that Caspian will always love her, but whose heart is not comforted by that phrase.

By Edmund, who is the only member of the Pevensie clan at peace with the youngest's decision, and who feels relieved that his hope for her has come to pass.

By Eustace, who is also at peace, but is still confused by them, for he has not found what they have.

By Aslan, who spreads the declaration among the Kings and Queens of old of Narnia.

And best of all…

The words are heard by Lucy and Caspian, who will treasure them the most.

He hugs her tight, as she does him, laughing breathlessly at the way their lives have changed, the way the PATH has changed. They are so happy to be walking it together.

Lucy knows her heart is safe in Caspian's strong hands… and hopes he knows his heart is safe in her small ones.

And in THAT moment, in THOSE words, we all know…

Lucy has truly made her choice.

The only one she could have made.

The only one her heart would have let her make.

And it IS the right decision.

End, the Love We Should all find… and The Truths We Tell Ourselves.

**A/N: Ta Da! That's the story! How'd you like it? I hope it met and exceeded your expectations, and made you squee and do a chair dance.**

**I may do a one-shot of Caspian and Lucy where he actually tells her how he feels on the Dawn Treader, a kind of AU to THIS AU, but I may not. That is, I promise, NOT determined by reviews, just whether the Caspian in my head will let me. Besides, I happen to think his ACTIONS gave her the answers she needed subconsciously.**

**Anyway, happy reading! Let me know how I did! See ya later! (I use way too many exclamation points, I know.)**


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